Powder compression molding machine

ABSTRACT

A POWDER COMPRESSION MOLDING MACHINE WHEREIN THE UPPER PUNCH HOLDING MEANS AND PART OF THE DIE CAN BE DETACHED, EACH BEING SPLIT IN TWO PARTS, WHEREBY SAID UPPER PUNCH, WHICH HAS COMPRESSION-MOLDED THE MATERIAL OF POWDER, AND THE PERIPHERY OF THE SURFACE OF CONTACT BETWEEN SAID UPPER PUNCH AND THE MOLD GOODS CAN BE RELEASED FROM THE SURROUNDING PORTION.

1971 YASUO SHIMADA ETA!- POWDER COMPRESSION MOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 7, 1970 Q 1M AHW'M 11w lnvenlor A Home y United States Patent 3,609,811 Patented Oct. 5,, 1971 fee 3,609,811 POWDER COMPRESSION MOLDING MACHINE Yasuo Shimada, 104 Minamikamiai-cho, Nishinokyo, Nakakyo-ku, and Shunichi Naito, 35 Kamitorida-cho, Murasakino, Kita-ku, both of Kyoto, Japan Filed Jan. 7, 1970, Ser. No. 1,213 Claims priority, application Japan, Apr. 18, 1969, 44/ 30,432 Int. Cl. B30b 11/00, 15/06 US. Cl. 18--16.5 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A powder compression molding machine wherein the upper punch holding means and part of the die can be detached, each being split in two parts, whereby said upper punch, which has compression-molded the material of powder, and the periphery of the surface of contact between said upper punch and the mold goods can be released from the surrounding portion.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a powder compression molding machine, and more particularly to a powder compi'ession molding machine used for measuring the slipping force of the compression-molded goods, i.e., the slipping force of the surface of contact between the upper punch and the mold goods after compression molding, the terms slipping force being used here and hereinafter to imply generically sticking, torque, bending, capping and factors of surface properties related thereto.

The present inventors have found that the best way of judging whether a powder material can be molded without any difficulty, such as capping or sticking, is to measure the slipping force of the compression-molded goods.

Therefore, in order to measure the slipping force the inventors first tried a powder compression molding machine of common type wherein the upper punch holding means and the die are fixed. However, it was found that the values of measurement obtained by such a machine are hardly reliable, because in it the upper punch and the periphery of the surface of contact between the upper punch and the mold goods are not released from the surrounding portion.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a powder compression molding machine designed to release the upper punch and the periphery of the surface of contact between the upper punch and the mold goods, from the surrounding portion.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a powder compression molding machine wherein, besides releasing the periphery of the surface of contact between the upper punch and the molded goods from the surrounding portion, the upper punch can be held vertically and rotatably against the holding means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a powder compression molding machine which makes it possible to measure the slipping force accurately and easily.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A powder compression molding machine according to this invention comprises a first die member fitted in a table; a second die member of separate type which is fitted in the upper portion of said first die member, and which, being split in two parts, can be detached therefrom; a lower punch inserted into the hole of said first die member from the underside; an upper punch inserted into the hole of said second die member of separate type from the upper side; a ram which pushes down said upper punch and causes it to compression-mold the material of powder with which the hole of said first die member and that of said second die member of separate type are filled; and a holding means which are set around said upper punch and which, being split into two parts, can be detached therefrom, to hold said upper punch vertically and in alignment with the axis of the hole of said die of separate type.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the holding means and the die member of separate type are each detachable from the powder compression molding machine which has compression-molded the material of powder.

When these holding means and the die member of separate type have been detached from said powder compression molding machine, the lower end of the mold goods contacts with the lower punch, and the periphery of its lower half contacts with the first die member, and its upper end contacts with the upper punch, the periphery of its upper half being released from contact.

The invention as well as the objects and advantages thereof will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section of the powder compression molding machine embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the die of separate type in said machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawing, the first die mrneber 1 is fitted in the table 2, and the second die member of separate type 3 is fixed to the upper portion of said die member 1 by means of the screws 4, and can be detached therefrom, being split in two parts. These two die members each have central apertures which define a compression molding chamber.

The lower punch 5 is inserted into the hole of said first die member 1 from the underside, and the upper punch 6 is inserted into the hole of said second die member of separate type from the upside and can be pulled upward.

The ram 7 lets down said upper punch 6 and causes it to compression-mold the material of powder with which the hole of the first die member 1 and that of the second die member of separate type 3 are filled.

A ball bearing 8 is loosely fitted around the upper punch 6; and a non-skid ring 9 is used to fix said upper punch 6 to the inner race of said ball bearing 8 as occasion demands. There is a holder 10 of separate type which holds said ball bearing 8 around said upper punch 6 and which, being split in two parts, can be detached therefrom. Said holder of separate type 10 is fixed to the table 2 by means of the fixing panel 11 and the screws 12. Within the compression molding chamber are goods 13 that have been compression-molded. Said ball bearing 8, non-skid ring 9, holder of separate type 10, fixing panel 11, etc. are elements that constitute the holding means for the upper punch 6.

We will now explain the procedure for measuring the slipping force of the mold goods which has been compression-molded by the powder compression molding ma chine indicated in said embodiment of invention.

First, the second die member of separate type 3 is fixed to the upper portion of the first die member 1 with the screws 4, then the lower punch 5 is inserted into the hole of the die member -1 from the underside, in such a way that the upper end of the lower punch Sis positioned a little lower than the bottom of the die of separate type 3.

Next, the hole of the die member 1 and that of the die member of separate type 3 are filled with a fixed quantity of material of powder.

Then, standing gently on the material of powder the upper punch 6 surrounded by the ball bearing 8 and the non-skid ring 9, and holding the outer race of said ball bearing 8 by means of the holder of separate type 10, said holder of separate type is fixed to the table 2 by means of the fixing panel 11 and screws 12. In this case the non-skid ring 9 is loosened.

Next, by letting the ram 7 fall, the powder material is compression-molded by the upper punch 6, in which case the lower end of said upper punch 6, that is, the upper end of the molded goods 13 which have been compression-molded, should be positioned a little higher than the lower end of the die of separate type 3.

Then, with the ram 7 remaining in lowered position, the fixing panel 11, the holder of separate type 10 and the die member of separate type 3 are detached one after another.

Thus, the periphery of the surface of contact between the upper punch 6 and the molded goods 13 is released from contact with the surrounding portion.

In this way it is possible to measure accurately and easily by a measuring instrument the bending force obtained by bending the upper punch 6 at the border between said upper punch 6 and the molded goods 13, and the tensile force obtained by pulling the upper punch 6 so as to detach it from the molded goods 13, thereby finding approximately the slipping force by the values obtained by the above measurement. In this case, it is necessary to lift the ram 7 and detach it from the upper punch 6.

Next, for measuring the torsion obtained by twisting said upper punch 6 against the mold goods 13, the following procedure is taken.

The holder of separate type 10, which has been split and detached as described above, and the fixing panel 11 are re-installed and, after fixing the upper punch 6 to the inner race of the ball bearing 8 with the non-skid ring 9, the ram 7 is lifted and detached from the upper punch 6.

Then the upper punch 6 is twisted against the molded goods 13 and the torsion obtained thereby is measured by a measuring instrument.

It has become clear by experiment that the slipping force can be measured more accurately by the values obtained by the measurement of this torsion.

As described above, since the present invention is so constituted that the holding means of the upper punch and part of the die, i.e., the die member of separate type, can be split in two parts and detached, it is possible to release the upper punch and the periphery of the surface of contact between the upper punch and the molded goods, from contact with the surrounding portion.

Next, when the holding means is fixed around the upper punch with the hearing, which is attached to the upper punch, between them, the upper punch can be held vertically by the holding means and the hearing by reinstalling the holding means af-ter detaching them and removing the die member of separate type, and at the same time, the upper punch can be supported rotatably around the holding means, so that it is possible to measure accurately and easily the torsion obtained by twisting the upper punch against the molded goods.

Therefore, the powder compression molding machine according to this invention can be used for measuring the slipping force of the surface of contact between the upper punch and the molded goods, and has the effect of making it possible to measure this slipping force accurately and easil Aithough the invention has been particularly shown and described, it is contemplated that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Thus, for example, it may be well to arrange the above-mentioned parts in inverted order, and make it possible to release the lower punch and the periphery of the surface of contact between the lower punch and the molded goods, from contact with the surrounding portion.

We claim:

1. powder compression molding machine which comprises:

(a) a first die member with a die hole, which is fitted in a table;

(b) a second die member with a die hole, which is fitted in the upper portion of said first die member, and which, being split in two parts, can be detached therefrom;

(c) a lower punch inserted into the hole of said die from the underside;

(d) an upper punch inserted into the hole of said die of separate type from the upside;

(e) a ram which lets down said upper punch and causes it to compression-mold powder material with which the hole of said first die member and that of said second die member of separate type are filled; and

(f) a holding means set around the upper punch and which, being split in two parts, can be detached therefrom, to hold said upper punch vertically in alignment with the axis of the hole of said die of separate type, thereby making it possible to release said upper punch and the surface of contact between the upper punch and the mold goods, from contact with the surrounding portion.

2. A powder compression molding machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said holding means is set around the upper punch with a bearing, which is attached to said upper punch.

3. A power compression molding machine, comprising in combination:

(a) support means;

(b) interfitting first and second die members with a compression chamber defined therein supported by said support means, said second die member having detachable first and second sections;

(c) first and second punch means for entering said chamber through said first and second die members;

(d) a ram aligned with one of said punch means to cause compression molding of material in said chamber; and

(e) detachable fastening means for fastening one of said punch means, and the corresponding die member to said support means, whereby, after compression molding, the contacting surfaces of the molded goods and said one die member can be released from contact with surrounding components to make desired measurements.

4. A power compression molding machine, comprising in combination:

(a) a table (2) to support a die arrangement;

(b) a first die member (1) with a first aperture and a defined recess supported by said table;

(c) a separate second die member (3) shaped to fit said defined recess with first and second sections defining a second aperture, said first and second apertures defining a compression chamber, and fastening means (4) for fastening said first and second die members to said table (2) (d) first and second punch means (5, 6) for entering said first and second apertures;

(e) a ram (7) aligned with one of said punch means (6) to cause compression molding of material in said chamber;

(f) a ball bearing assembly (8) and non-skid ring (9) connecting said one punch means (6) to said assembly and a holder (10) further holding said assembly (8) and ring (9); and

(g) a detachable fixing panel (11) and detachable fastening means (12.) for fastening said one punch means (6) and holder (10), whereby, after compression molding, the contacting surfaces of the molded goods and the one die member (6) can be released 5 6 from contact with surrounding components to make 3,132,379 5/ 1964 Crane 1816.5 desired measurements. 3,149,375 9/1964 Gehl 18-165 3,200,442 8/1965 Haller 1816.5 References Ci 3,518,950 7/1970 Crossley 1816.5 X UNITED STATES N S 5 3,528,134 9/1970 Fischback 18-30 LV 2,867,844 1/1959 Hall 1816.5

I. HOWARD FLINT, J R., Primary Examiner 3,020,589 2/1962 Maritano 1816.5 

